Klarinet Archive - Posting 000950.txt from 2004/10

From: kurtheisig@-----.net
Subj: Re: [kl] The History of Wind Bands
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2004 01:34:54 -0400

We are sorting and cataloging the library for the Hastings Band (now Heisig-Hastings Band). The latest addition to the library appears to be 1956 and the oldest are from the 1880's. Instrumentation INDEED varies! Much of the library is the old 11th Cavalry library which went to Dante Profumo after Patton formed the 2nd Cav Division and the library was surplused.

This is a very historic band. It played at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz and met the "Suntan Special" from 1886-1957. It has been through a few revivals including in the 1970's when Danny Leeson was our bass clarinet player and I was 1st alto sax. There are local reports that Sousa once came to Santa Cruz to conduct it.(?) We also performed a tribute to Sousa at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz that I conducted on October 4, 1992, only to learn AFTERWARDS that the original concert of the Sousa band was on September 26, 1892! Inadvertantly we had done a centennial tribute to Sousa!

Kurt

-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Sent: Oct 30, 2004 6:08 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] The History of Wind Bands

A wonderful book on the history of wind bands:

"The Winds of Change" by Frank Battisti, Meredith Music Publications (2002)

Including a reference to our very own Daniel Leeson on Pg. 179 amongst a
list of conductors described as "the most diligent, consistent searchers
for and programmers of wind band music of serious artistic merit."

After reading this book you will understand why the only consistency in
instrumentation among wind band compositions is inconsistency. If you blow
into some of the instruments and (optionally) you hit some the instruments
and you don't have violins, violas and cellos, you probably have a wind
band of some kind.

-Adam

At 05:30 PM 10/30/2004 -0700, dnleeson wrote:
>I must bring to your attention a very excellent work for a large
>wind ensemble and written by Beethoven. It's a set of variations
>also found in Wellington's victory. AS I remember it calls for
>brass, winds, and percussion but it has been at least 30 years
>since I played it. So your basic premise of there being NO
>Beethoven for band is flawed, though the band cannot compare in
>size with a large university group. Still...

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